Carole King Honored With Gershwin Prize at White House Ceremony

Carole King was was presented with the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song at the White House last night by President Obama, who called the singer-songwriter a "living legend," The Associated Press reports. "It is yet another of the many important messages to young women that women matter, women make a difference," King said in an interview with the AP. "That popular music is recognized by the Library of Congress as being worthy of a place in history is especially significant to me." Carole King Musical Aims for Broadway King became the first woman ever to win the Gerswhin Prize, which is given by the Library of Congress each year. Previous recipients include Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon. King accepted the award on behalf of the co-writers she worked with throughout her career, including Hal David and Gerry Goffin, who helped her craft such classic songs as "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" and "You've Got A Friend." Held just two days after a tornado ravaged Moore, Oklahoma, President Obama spoke of rebuilding and recovery, and the role music can play in that process: "Eventually, life will go on and new memories will be made. New laughter will come. New songs will be sung," he said. "And that's often why we turn to music during trying times, for comfort and for inspiration, and sometimes just for a good diversion." King opened the show playing the piano before taking a seat next to the president and Vice President Joe Biden; she closed the ceremony as well with a duet of "You've Got a Friend" alongside James Taylor. Gloria Estefan, Trisha Yearwood and Emeli Sandé further honored King with a rendition of her "Will You Love Me Tomorrow." King also performed "I Believe in Loving You," she co-written with Hal David, a Gershwin Prize recipient who died last year: "I'm hoping that this will become a song that people will want to play at their weddings," she said of the track, which she hopes to release as a single. "It's so romantic. Hal is such a great writer, and his words live on forever." At 71, King seemed ready to retire last year following the release of her memoir A Natural Woman, but has since toured Australia and is set to perform at a benefit concert for victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. "I still feel that it would be lovely to retire, but that time is not yet here apparently," King said. Last night's tribute was a part of Obama's "In Performance at the White House" series, and the show will air on PBS on May 28th.

News Source:www.rollingstone.com

Obama budget to offer program cuts,seek deficit deal: official

President Barack Obama will offer cuts to Social Security and other entitlement programs in a budget proposal aimed at swaying Republicans to compromise on a deficit-reduction deal, a senior administration official said on Friday. Under a proposal that would cut the deficit by $1.8 trillion over 10 years, the president will offer to apply a less generous measure of inflation to calculate cost-of-living increases, the official said on condition of anonymity. That change would result in lower payments to some beneficiaries of the Social Security program for retirees and is staunchly opposed by many congressional Democrats as well as labor and retiree groups. Obama would agree to cuts to other so-called entitlement programs, the official said. However, the president will only accept these spending cuts if congressional Republicans, for their part, agree to higher taxes, the official added. The president's budget proposal is due to be laid out in full on Wednesday. The president's renewed offer of fiscal negotiations with congressional Republicans follows a series of bitter battles over taxes and spending that date back to 2011. Obama is eager to put the issue of deficit reduction behind him and move on to other priorities, which include immigration and gun control legislation. "This isn't about political horse trading," the official said. "It's about reducing the deficit in a balanced way that economists say is best for the economy and job creation." Still, several attempts to reach an agreement balancing spending cuts with tax increases have failed, and prospects for a deal remain doubtful. House Speaker John Boehner, who let taxes rise for the wealthiest Americans earlier this year, has said any further revenue increases are off the table. The president also wants to undo at least some of the $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts that went into effect last month through the process known as sequestration. Obama's budget for the fiscal year that starts October 1 will contain a proposal to expand access to early childhood education, the official said. That program will be paid for by increases in tobacco taxes, the official added. In addition, the president will seek to increase revenues by placing a $3 million upper limit on tax-preferred retirement accounts and by barring people from collecting disability benefits and unemployment insurance at the same time, the official said. Analysts who have seen early drafts of the budget proposal say the president was considering cuts to Medicare through reducing payments to health care providers but also by requiring wealthier beneficiaries to pay more out of pocket. Reductions to Social Security and Medicare benefits are highly unpopular among many of the president's strongest supporters and groups have already mobilized to oppose them.

News Source:news.yahoo.com